Still trying to learn how to catch my first smallmouth. After reading what A-Jay has put together here, it sounds like an entirely different ball game from the LMB fishing I'm used to. Is it true that - with occasional exceptions  - I should concentrate on 10 to 20 foot deep structure and less on the shallower bank cover ? I understand this is dependent on a bunch of factors and time on the water is the best teacher but would it be a good jumping off point for me to start learning from 

Location is everything. Fish below Wilson or Pickwick dam. 

My experience with shallow 1-10 fow smallies in lakes has been mostly prespawn fish in water temps from 45-60 degrees. The rest of the time I have found them deeper in 15-45 fow. You need to look for rock piles, reefs, lake bottom changes in composition, road beds & trenches, etc. You also need to look for bait balls with suspended fish near by at that same depth. If you find bait at 20 fow then target 20 foot depths. Some times the easiest way to find them is drifting or trolling with an appropriate depth crankbait or jerk bait while searching for structure or structure changes. Just keep trying until you have some success then you will have an epiphany. 

6 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Location is everything. Fish below Wilson or Pickwick dam. 

Or below Wheeler dam.  Fish around rocks when they are generating.  Use smaller baits known to catch smallmouth.  Current is important.

I’ve caught some shallow In the rocks, but boulders a little deeper seems to be where they live. They’re more nomadic than a largemouth too. 

8 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

Location is everything. Fish below Wilson or Pickwick dam. 

Thanks RW. From everything I can read, Pickwick is a much better fishery but I've sort of set a goal to try and learn Tims first . 

8 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

My experience with shallow 1-10 fow smallies in lakes has been mostly prespawn fish  Just keep trying until you have some success then you will have an epiphany. 

Many thanks Dwight. Good to know about pre spawn temps. Understood about putting in the time. 

Get some strike king bitsy tubes and put a round ball 1/8 oz jighead inside it. If they are there, they will eat it 

2 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Get some strike king bitsy tubes and put a round ball 1/8 oz jighead inside it. If they are there, they will eat it 

Many thanks TnRiver46. I've never thrown a tube ( there's a great many baits that I could say the same about) but will definitely give them a try. Sorry about the Vols-Michigan game but the lady Vols are still truckin'

7 hours ago, Unk said:

Many thanks TnRiver46. I've never thrown a tube ( there's a great many baits that I could say the same about) but will definitely give them a try. Sorry about the Vols-Michigan game but the lady Vols are still truckin'

It’s baseball season now! We travel to #1 ole miss this weekend 

8 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

It’s baseball season now! We travel to #1 ole miss this weekend 

How bout that dude clocked at 104 MPH! Don't think i could get the bat around on him even back in my swinging for the fence days! Bet those batter's are a little bit nervous walking up to that box! Kind a like Randy Johnson in my time. I work with a buddy that faced Justin Verlander in college. Said he took three pitches and went and sat down! Never saw the first one.

2 minutes ago, Blue Raider Bob said:

How bout that dude clocked at 104 MPH! Don't think i could get the bat around on him even back in my swinging for the fence days! Bet those batter's are a little bit nervous walking up to that box! Kind a like Randy Johnson in my time. I work with a buddy that faced Justin Verlander in college. Said he took three pitches and went and sat down! Never saw the first one.

He was warming up at 100, crazy. Some guy did make contact and it came off the bat real hot, but thankfully went directly to the center fielder. His change up was 91